The Brief
- More than 1,000 nurses at MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital held an informational picket on Wednesday to demand safer, mandatory nurse-to-patient ratios to improve patient care at their busy facility.
- Union representatives state that MultiCare’s current wage proposal would make Good Samaritan nurses the lowest-paid in the regional system, and they are demanding formal action regarding an outdated, discriminatory phrase used by leadership.
- Patient services were not disrupted by the demonstration, and the next formal contract negotiation session between the union and hospital management is scheduled for June 2.
PUYALLUP, Wash. – More than 1,000 nurses at MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital took to the picket line Wednesday morning, seeking to draw public attention to ongoing contract negotiations and demands for safer staffing ratios.
The informational picket, which began early in the morning, did not disrupt patient services. Participating nurses returned to their shifts inside the hospital after the demonstration but plan to picket more throughout the day.
Demands for patient safety
What they’re saying:
At the core of the contract dispute is a push for mandatory nurse-to-patient ratios, which union members argue is vital for patient safety and quality care.…